The Promise
by xx.just.a.contradiction.xx
Summary: Just a few days after Katie is born, her mother Andrea, dies... But before she dies, she tells Oliver that he's to always watch over Katie and protect her... And seventeen years later, a real chance for him to stay true to his promise, presents itself.


**The Promise…**

'BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP!'

Startled awake by the harsh cry of the timer, Mrs. Andrea Bell sat up sharply. Blinking groggily, she turned her somewhat sleepy attention on the timer beside her hospital bed. Switching it off, she lay back for a moment, trying to regain her proper vision. Closing her eyes, she was just drifting off again when a nurse popped her cheery, blonde head around the doorframe.

'Excuse me Mrs Bell? Uh, sorry to wake you deary: but its time to feed Katie.' She said in her loud and happy Irish accent.

'Thank you.' Andrea said sleepily, sitting up and reluctantly slipping gracefully out of bed. Pulling on a white dressing gown, she tucked a strand of wavy mahogany hair behind her ear before walking slightly unsteadily out the door and down the antiseptic smelling hallway of the Maternity ward. Stopping in front of the nursery that her newborn daughter was in, she regained her breath and composure, and walked confidently into the room. A few feet away from Katie's little corner, stood Andrea's best friend, Tobias Wood, who was watching his one year old son, Oliver, lean over the cot. Hearing her approach, he turned and smiled, holding a finger to his lips and cocking his head in the direction of the corner.

Inching forward quietly, Andrea's breath caught in her throat as she witnessed the most enchanting sight she'd ever seen. Little Oliver Wood was leant over the side of her daughter's cot and was stroking the baby's tiny red cheek with a small, white hand.  
'Shhhh…' He cooed gently, his little Scottish accent making his voice unusually deep.

Smiling, Andrea was startled to feel tears creeping down her pale cheeks.  
For some reason, a strange sense of calm washed over her as she watched the little boy with her one and only daughter – as if she somehow knew that he would always keep Katie safe, even if something happened to herself or Jonathan.  
Silently thanking God for little Oliver, she smiled, knowing that he would one day grow up to be a tall and handsome brunette just like his father, and a Quidditch player as well.

Andrea Bell had a flair for these kinds of things – a sensitive, gentle and beautiful lady, people found it easy to open up to her, as she was naturally kind and a wonderful listener. But it was her smile that held their attention – a tall and willowy woman, Andrea had not fallen short in looks, but her smile was so extraordinary, that you instantly forgot all her other features – it was a gentle, laughing smile that managed to curve even the tightest corners of her lips – the kind of smile that makes good and loving men like Jonathan Bell, fall in love with a woman… And that was just what it did.

Walking over, she reached out to touch Oliver's thick head of dark hair – but her hand never made it. Suddenly, she was struck with a violent dizzy spell and collapsed to the floor. Blinking, she tried to clear her vision, but it was marred with black patches and spots.

Looking up, she saw a flurry of action and commotion around her, but it was if she was in a silent film – she could hear nothing. Blinking some more, she focused her attention on the pale face of little Oliver, who was watching the scene in front of him in confusion and panic – his brown eyes glistening with fear; reaching out to him shakily, she smiled gently as she felt him grip her icy cold hand tightly.

'Keep her safe Oliver…' she whispered hoarsely as her vision began to fade.

The last thing she saw was little Oliver Wood nodding bravely, tears running down his freckled cheeks, before it all faded to black…

**Seventeen years later…**

'KATIE!'

Screaming out her name in fear and panic, Oliver stretched his arms out to her as she was dragged off, her mahogany hair whipping her face as she kicked and struggled against her captor.

'OLIVER GO! LEAVE ME – JUST GO!' She yelled in return, her voice cracking slightly in her terror.

Shaking his head violently, he ran towards her, his Quidditch reflexes aiding his narrow escapes from falling debris and fatal hexes. Seeing him sprinting up behind them, the Death Eater shot a spell at him, which he dodged. Throwing Katie to the ground, the Death Eater tried again, Oliver's reflexes helping him to miss it again. Letting out a frustrated yell, the Death Eater decided that the hex wasn't painful enough for the lanky rat he was trying to rid himself of.

'_Avada K-' _he started, before he was thrown off his feet by a shorter figure with long tresses of brown hair.

'RUN OLIVER!' she shrieked, tears running down her cheeks, 'RUN BEFORE ITS TOO LATE!' Seeing that the Death Eater was on his feet again, she panicked and yelled louder, but the tall, burly eighteen year old wasn't moving.

'OLIVER FOR MERLIN'S SAKE – MOVE YOUR ARSE!' she screamed, running towards him, only to be sent crashing to the ground by another Death Eater.

This seemed to snap Oliver out of his reverie of fear, sprinting towards her, his wand held out in front, he hexed three Death Eaters, before reaching her side. Blasting her captor off her, he hoisted her to her feet and dragged her away, pulling her by her wrist.

'Oliver, they'll catch us! Oliver just go!' she screeched, trying to make him let go of her arm. 'I'm slowing you down – let go!'

'Katie, I'm not going without you – just run!' He bellowed back, dodging a spell that had been cast by one of the three Death Eaters behind them. Dragging her faster, he had to pull her to a screeching halt when they reached the edge of a cliff.

'Gotcha's now you little rats!' cackled a distinctly female voice, behind a skull mask and dark hood.

'Let go of him and he needn't die.' sneered a male voice, from beside the female Death Eater.

Upon hearing this, Katie began wrenching Oliver's hand off her wrist.

'Oliver, please! I'll never forgive myself if they kill you, PLEASE!' she begged, her blue eyes flowing over with panicked tears. 'Please Oliver…'

'Katie, I'm not letting you go… I can't let you go.' Oliver replied resolutely, gripping her wrist even tighter. 'If you go, I go.'

'Oliver no! They will kill you!' she screamed, sobbing loudly now, she grabbed onto his shirt with her free hand and shook him violently. 'Go now, or I'll never forgive you!'

'I DON'T CARE, KATIE I'M NOT LEAVING YOU AMONGST A CROWD OF THIS SCUM!' he bellowed, his Scottish accent growing thicker in his fear and anger.

'What did you call us?' hissed the third Death Eater, stalking towards them and sticking his wand on Oliver's throat.

'Scum.' He spat, his jaw clenched, as Katie clung to him, screaming at him to shut up.

'Say that again boy and I will have to kill you.' The Death Eater warned, poking his wand harder into Oliver's throat.

'No! Please… Take me instead – leave him be!' Katie pleaded, falling to her knees in front of him, tears smearing mud and dirt across her pale face.

'No! You'll have to go through me first before touching her!' Oliver yelled, standing in front of her, acting oblivious to Katie's sobs.

'That can be arranged…' said the female voicing, advancing on him and pointing her wand at him. _'Crucio!'_

Writhing on the ground in agony, Oliver yelled and screamed, twitching horribly. Shrieking in horror, Katie threw herself on him as the spell wore off.

'Katie… Run… I love you…' He croaked, touching her face with blood stained hands.

Standing up shakily, he turned to face the three Death Eaters defiantly.

'KATIE RUN!' he yelled, before yelling a spell and blasting the three off their feet. Too scared and panicked in her confusion, Katie sprinted off into the darkness, oblivious to the chaos surrounding her. After five minutes of running non-stop into the forest, the noise level died dramatically, quietened enough to let her think.

_Oh God… I left Oliver by himself! Stupid, stupid girl!_

Whipping around, she ran back to the edge of the cliff, where Oliver lay in a heap upon the ground, his clothes drenched in blood and his breathing shallow and hoarse.

'Oliver… Oliver I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have left you here!' Katie sobbed, pulling him close to her, letting his head rest on her lap.

'Katie… Go… I'm dying…' He whispered hoarsely, coughing blood onto her jeans.

'No, Oliver I can't leave you…'

'Katie go... I…love…you…'

'Oliver!'

'Your…mother…told…me…to…keep…you…safe…always…'

Shakily holding his wand to his temple, he pulled a strand of silver from his head and held his wand unsteadily out to her. Taking the wand, she put the precious memory carefully in her pocket and set his wand back on his chest.

'Oliver, I'm not leaving you.' She whispered, as he coughed harder.

The effort of pulling a memory from his brain had exhausted him, and breathing was gradually growing shallower.

'I promised her, Katie…' he murmured, his breathing barely sustaining him.

Coughing violently, blood dripping from his mouth, he laid his head back on her lap. Crying quietly, she stroked his dark hair, as he breathing shallowed to a stop.

Panicking, she pressed her ear to his toned chest, as his heartbeat thumped slower… and slower… and slower… until it stopped.

'I will always love you,' she whispered, tears dropping onto his face and mingling with the blood, 'That's a promise…'

**Hey… well that was my first attempt at a short story…**

**Review and tell me what you think – if you hate it, I'll delete it and try again, lol.**

**Thanks and much, much love,**

**Ash xx **


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